Chocolate and Roses
by Mari Kazara
Summary: An early moning stroll through a rose garden brings two unexpected people together. CaterinaXWilliam.


**Roses and Chocolate**

A stream of early morning light fell on the sleeping form of Cardinal Caterina Sforza, Duchess of Milan. Her eyes hesitated in their ascension in the favor of turning over and proceeding with her night sleep.But the sounds of birds and the sweet smell of early morning vanish these thought from her head as she rose to greet the new day.

Sitting up slowly she reached for her dressing gown which always lay beside her bed, wrapping it's gentle warmth around her as she stepped out of bed. She found herself following the source of the light that streaming though her balcony window. She flung open the door, embracing a beautiful spring day in Rome , where nature lay awake to embrace her while the rest of the world lay in late slumber.

Soon they day would began and she would be trapped behind a desk signing papers and giving orders.

"It's a perfect crime to be indoors on a day like this," she thought, when I should be outside enjoying that beautiful sunshine"

And why not? The work day hadn't started yet. She could slip away to Rose Gardens. No one will be there this early in the morning and I can enjoy an hour of peace and quiet before another day of drudgery begins.

Quickly she slipped into her complicated attire with the ease that came from years of practice, pausing only to brush he soft, honey gold hair. Placing the brush on the vanity she gazed at her reflection in the mirror and saw her happy face reflected on it's surface. She looked to the left and the right of her before pulling the skin under her eye down, sticking out her tongue and making a face at the mirror. She placed her hand over her mouth to keep herself from laughing. If only the others could have seen that ,what would they have thought?

Well, she didn't care, not on a day like this, she thought, as she placed her hat firmly on her head. In a hour she would have to go back to being cold calculating Caterina, but for now she wanted be young and alive.

Head down the large staircase, she saw no except sleepy looking guards who who bowed slow as she passed. When she exited though the large doors of the Vatican it was like going from a mausoleum in to the world of the living. The air around her sang with vitality and excitement,Caterina didn't want to waste a minute of it.She quickly followed the cobble stone path to the Rose Garden. Her rose garden, she thought of it, as it was set apart from all the other gardens by a wrought iron gate covered with streams of emerald colored ivy twirled among it's crevices.

As she stepped through the gate she only paused a minute to drink in the sweet fragrance of the sweet _Rinascimento_ roses that had been in her mothers garden. Caressing the velvet petals to her cheek ,she closed her eyes and was brought back to a time when she was a just a child with her hair bobbed just under her ears. She would be waiting in the garden for her father to return from one of his many trips. The memory suddenly seemed so real, but why? It was a familiar scent, the smell of her father's...pipe!

She open her eye's quickly and turned around to see the jade colored eyes of Professor William Walter Wordsworth watching her intently. She would have fallen into a blush, if years of experience taught her how to handle all situations.

Without even a tremor in her voice she approached him and said," Professor Wordworth, what are you doing here?"

Where Caterina had remained calm, William looked a bit flustered," Pardon, me Lady Caterina, I should have made my presence known. I was up late working on an experiment and thought I'd stretch my legs and they happen to bring me here."

" I see," said Caterina softly.

They said nothing for a few moments, with only the sound of the fountain flowing softly behind them.

" Would you like to sit down," he said awkwardly gesturing to bench near the fountain.

Caterina smiled and nodded as she graceful sat down , William sat beside her, leaning back to enjoy the comfort surrounding him.

"This place is really beautiful, I never been here when all the roses are in bloom, like this. It reminds me of Elaina's rose garden, though it's much larger."

" Elaina, she was your..." Caterina paused.

" My fiance, yes. We knew each other since we were kids. I never thought my life would be without her."

The voice was sad as he place his pipe to his mouth, almost if he didn't want to or couldn't speak about it anymore. In this short silence Caterina turn to really look at William. She had always seen him look so happy, bustling around, inventing things. But could there be a part of this man who was lonely, that needed to be loved?

" This garden hold a lot of memories for me," she found herself blurting out.

William turned at her looking a bit surprised by her sudden outburst.

" Well, not exactly this garden," she continued," you see many of these rose bushes came from my mother's rose garden."

" Really," said William, quite interested," I never knew that."

" I used to always wait in the garden for my father to come home. He would always bring me a box of chocolates and on the card it would read " For Caterina, the hardest worker I know." My father was alway proud of how hard I worked on my lessons. He valued hard work above beauty or charm.I always loved that about my father." Caterina eyes grew very soft when she spoke of her father, like gentle, blue pools.

"He smoked a pipe like you do," she said turning to William," I always loved that scent. He kept the chocolate in the same pocket he kept his pipe,. Even after the chocolates were gone I kept the box because it smell like his pipe. It was like keeping him near me, when he would leave on another trip.I was alway so hard when he would go."

Caterina didn't see the eyes of William turn and stare at her. As if he were perhaps seeing her for the first time, unlocking a part of her world that she kept so jealously hidden.

Caterina return from her memories to see the sun rising high in the sky, mark the beginning of a new day.

" Oh ,I must go! I so much to do today and I am already late. If you will excuse me, Professor William," she said quickly rising and heading out the gate.

" Lady Caterina!" William called ,racing after her.

" Yes," she said turning back to him.

"Um...have a nice day," he said flatly.

" You too, Professor William," she said, turning away, feeling strangely sad.

-

It had been a hard day, things had never seem to go so wrong before. Arguments, disputes, compromises that could not be met.

She sighed as she sank down into her bed, resting her throbbing head against the cool sheets.

Then she saw it on the table, a small red an gold box. Opening it she found some beautiful German chocolates. There was a note attached to it saying

_To Caterina_

_The hardest worker I know._

She cried.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

This story was inspired by a conversation between me and **naturally morbid,** who has a great fanfic about these two characters.

This is my first one-shot and my first romance fic so review would be nice.


End file.
